Just three years after the merger of NewBridge College and Centurion Academy to form NewBridge Graduate Institute, and less than a year after submitting their application, the international accreditation received from the British Accreditation Council validates the single-minded focus of NewBridge Graduate Institute on its emergence as a meaningful option for those considering private higher education in South Africa. Private higher education caters to about 20% of the country’s higher education students through over 100 locally registered and accredited institutions making the need to differentiate itself from others critical to being able to deliver on NewBridge Graduate Institute’s unique value offering to students. There are now 7 campuses offering a balance of undergraduate degrees, diplomas and higher certificates to students looking for quality, career focused education in class sizes where individual learning needs and personal aspirations can be met.
With over 20 years’ experience each in executive positions in higher education including founding of Varsity College, Craig Duff (CEO) and Odette Francesconi (COO) had sought an equity partner that would enable them to create a higher education option for students that is proudly South African but offering students a global advantage. Their vision centred on the need for a focused offering at affordable prices for students that want something different. “So many students making the transition from school to higher education,” says Francesconi, “want and need an environment that sets them up for whatever career or education trajectory they desire but does so recognising that success is built on the strong foundations that only a focused educational experience can offer. Within a short time of securing the partnership with Summit Africa we were able to put together the team to lead our vision and embarked on accrediting and registering NewBridge Graduate Institute.”
NewBridge Graduate Institute has benefitted from the mix of innovation coming from NewBridge College and 20 years of traditional higher education found at Centurion Academy. Overlaying that with rapid growth and expansion has enabled the build of a team with a single focus. Organisational change and development organised around a shared intent have been remarkably effective with NewBridge Graduate Institute now offering close to 20 higher education qualifications including new degrees to a completely transformed and inclusive student population.
Recalling the words of a former chief executive Duff says that “demand has never been the challenge in higher education, affordability has. On top of that we recognised that there are many students who would access private higher education if they could and indeed, who are precluded from accessing higher education generally as they do not qualify for NSFAS funding but cannot afford the escalating fees of public and established private higher education institutions. The so-called missing middle.”
NewBridge Graduate Institute has perhaps the most comprehensive bursary programme for these students and is proud of the fact that more than half of its students are assisted in one way or another to make the most of what NewBridge Graduate Institute offers.
In South Africa diversity must be economic, social, cultural and geographical if institutions are to produce genuinely skilled economic citizens. The bursary programme enables this.
Further innovation in teaching and learning focusing on the success of students emerging from South African schools have included AMP sessions (Acceleration, Mastery, Performance) rather than a focus on negatively identifying students at risk, while ICE (Integrated Curriculum Engagement) makes sure that learning is active and feedback is regular. LIFT (Literacy Integrated for Triumph) modules are identified in each year of study for further embedding of academic literacy in the curriculum. Teaching and learning are blended with all students having opportunities for face to face and online learning experiences mirroring the skills needed in the digital world of work. NewBridge Graduate Institute has delivered on its promise to promote student success.
Local accreditation and registration affirm the wisdom of the approach having been achieved with very few hurdles. “International Accreditation against the rigorous expectations of the British Accreditation Council which included affirmation of our LIFT, AMP and ICE interventions to support students, truly cements our belief in the value of what we are doing,” says the Chief Academic Officer, Dr Felicity Coughlan.
NewBridge Graduate Institute now offers undeniably high-quality educational experiences throughout the county and its growth trajectory means it is becoming increasingly accessible to those that want the certainty of quality, the security of local and international accreditation and the rigour of curricula that are locally relevant and responsive. “We are so proud of our people and our vision – we have pulled off this amazing achievement in less than a year from submitting our application because we have a collective commitment to building an institution that truly contributes to the skills and values our country so urgently needs”, Coughlan says. Francesconi agrees, “From a foundation so solid only the strongest can emerge and we are committed to that growth for our students and staff.”
